All mailers are eagerly awaiting the likely decision of the U.S. Postal Service’s Board of Governors (BOG) tomorrow on whether it will override the Postal Rate Commission (PRC) and implement a rate hike of up to 3% this summer. The PRC, which must approve all rate hikes, has twice this year let stand its decision to raise rates by only 4.6% while the USPS wanted a full 6%. The USPS claimed it needed the money to cover an impending $800 million deficit. Under the law, the nine-member BOG can only override the PRC’s decision with a unanimous vote. Late last month, postal officials began floating the idea of a phasing in a rate increase of 15% over three years with various mailer groups.
